Switzerland imposes sanctions on Belarus

16 August 2024 13:13

The Swiss authorities have imposed sanctions on 27 citizens of the Republic of Belarus.

The sanctions target members of law enforcement agencies, judges, and journalists, Caliber.Az reports citing the Russian media.

Among those sanctioned are Irina Akulovich, the director general of the BelTA news agency, Andrei Ananenko, the head of the Main Directorate for Combating Organised Crime and Corruption of the Belarusian Interior Ministry, and two his deputies, along with other law enforcement officers, heads of correctional institutions, and judges. The sanctions include a travel ban to Switzerland, restrictions on banking services in the country, and the freezing of any assets they may have within Swiss jurisdiction.

The US has recently imposed sanctions on individuals and entities in Belarus who have supported Moscow's war in Ukraine through military resource production and the shipment of goods, the Treasury Department said.

The sanctions, imposed on 19 individuals, 14 entities and one aircraft, also target people involved in sanctions evasion on behalf of Belarusian defence entities and revenue generation for people in President Alexander Lukashenko's inner circle, the department said in a statement.

The UK has also sanctioned further seven individuals and entities on the fourth anniversary of the deeply flawed 2020 presidential elections in Belarus in coordinated action with international partners, taking the total number of sanctions against Belarus to over 200.

The conduct of the election, which was widely condemned by the international community, sparked widespread peaceful protests across the country. These were met by a brutal campaign of repression and a purging of civil society, independent media and the democratic opposition at the hands of the Lukashenko regime, with political prisoners detained in penal colonies. Commanding officers of four of these penal colonies, who have contributed to human rights violations and the repression of civil society, have been hit with UK sanctions.

Belarus has also provided instrumental support for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine since it began in 2022. It has allowed the use of its territory and airspace to launch attacks and provided kit and logistical support, with three Belarusian entities in the defence and military industrial sector being added to the UK’s sanction list, preventing them from doing business with UK companies.

Caliber.Az

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